Sherwood Pines – Clipstone Forest

Clipstone Forest is the largest area of woodland in the East Midlands open to the public

There are lots of things to do in Sherwood Pines – riding a bike, Go Ape, the play areas and cafe. Most visitors stay near the visitors center so head south towards the Black Hill if you want to experience the quiet empty regions of the park, but don’t get lost!

To make your ride or walk more interesting visit some of the many important historical sites on your way. Find the remains of the Mansfield’s 18th century main coach road to the Great North Road at Tuxford and the mediaeval route  from Kings Clipstone to Bilsthorpe and Southwell. Parts of the old heath land and shrogges survive. Parish Boundary features such as Robin Hood’s Whetstone (a meerstone) and the parish banks between Rufford, Edwinstowe and Kings Clipstone. There is the remains of the First World War training trenches and pistol range. Don’t forget to keep an eye open for the deer.

By 1630 the part of Sherwood to the southeast of  Kings Clipstone was dominated by large rabbit warrens. A large area between the village and Rufford was no longer properly wooded. Grazing by the huge number of rabbits had resulted in a scrubby heathland called Clipstone Shrogges – shrogges being a dialect word for scrubby land.

Eventually it became known as Clipstone Heath as rabbits  grazing reduced the whole area to an open heathland. In Victorian times large numbers of  rabbits were killed sent daily to London by train from Mansfield.

During the last part of the nineteenth century small plantations such as Culloden were created but it wasn’t until 1925 that the Forestry Commission obtained a 999 year on the land.